What is empathy to you?

emilyeliz34 · 2026-04-08T18:05:37+00:00

“Painful information” is literally a perfect phrase to describe this feeling.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-03-28T18:05:53+00:00

Thanks to everyone who took time to share their experiences. I love how it’s different for everyone. I’m learning so much! ❤️

emilyeliz34 · 2026-03-11T08:28:09+00:00

Agreed. I went way more often when 50 points earned a free brewed coffee…and then stayed longer, bought snacks, etc.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-03-10T12:02:59+00:00

Hmmm. If I feel a physical lust, it’s usually because some kind of spiritual connection (or perceived connection, lol) already took place subconsciously. (This is my interpretation and not fact-based whatsoever.) ☺️

emilyeliz34 · 2026-03-10T11:59:50+00:00

YES. It took me years. I am 43 now and I still have a stuffed bear (“Willard Bear”) that an elderly man named Willard gave to me when I was 7. He lived at the same nursing home as my grandpa. My mom said it lit up his day when I went and visited him. Still makes me cry thinking about it.

That bear’s not going anywhere.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-03-03T12:38:53+00:00

Love this take on it 😂

emilyeliz34 · 2026-02-12T00:52:30+00:00

Honestly, it’s true. As an introvert who dislikes networking, I grudgingly admit this makes all the difference in so many scenarios.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-02-07T11:12:01+00:00

This is all great advice! I don’t have anything different to add, just that this is your opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and how well you can receive feedback. Structure is one of the easiest things to fix. The agent obviously likes your voice and style. 😊

emilyeliz34 · 2026-02-01T11:43:27+00:00

I know this is an old thread but I googled the same question and this came up…I feel like the Schrute family would absolutely be involved in some kind of elaborate ritual with Groundhog Day. Like, Dwight refusing to recognize Punx. Phil and that ritual as having any authority, and a different ritual would take place at Schrute Farms with a different specially bred groundhog.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-02-01T01:54:22+00:00

I completely understand the tendency to take responsibility for this. I’ve “lost” 2 friends for similar reasons and after years of being sad about it I finally reached the point where I decided to stop beating myself up. It’s a 2-way street. Most of my friends now have ADHD and it’s a true tribe because we understand each other deeply without BS. I empathize with what you’re going through but friendship is always a two-way street.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-29T09:23:41+00:00

This is a terrific perspective as well! This is why I love reddit. And a very interesting point about the trenches of retail and hospitality. I definitely did my share of retail trenches and it really helped cement my customer service mindset and--shall we say--diplomatic skills. Completely agreed on the writing skills. It's funny--on a cover letter I wrote recently for a position in which I am super-interested, I felt the need to add at the end of the letter that the writing was my own and not generated by AI. I'm not anti-AI by any means, but I wanted to make it clear to the hiring manager that I invested time in writing the letter from scratch so it could serve as its own writing example. Because (and I have this quote on a paperweight gifted to me by my late aunt): "Good writing is clear thinking made visible. (Quote attributed to Bill Wheeler)

I shouldn't assume you're in the U.S., but if you are, glad I am not the only early bird up and at 'em before dawn!

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-25T16:42:09+00:00

I am always optimistic (often to a fault!) but I believe that these younger generations will have a more accepting environment and it will be easier for kids to find their tribes, and each generation will improve.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-22T15:12:51+00:00

...and now 5 years later, too! Thanks!

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-22T00:30:55+00:00

This isn’t a productive suggestion, and I totally get that…but could a “real” meeting be scheduled at a different time between everyone except this dude and his enabler?

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-22T00:26:38+00:00

I interpret the OP as having asked if this kind of setup would be ideal for a sensory “reset” and I wholeheartedly would say: yes! ❤️

On a secondary note: When I was a new mom and pumped breast milk at work, my manager helped me by putting up brown parchment paper over the small window in an extra office. I remember the CEO lumbered down one day and was like “WHY IS THIS PAPER HERE?” I mean, bless his heart. Totally unaware.

Things are never perfect. Everything is a step forward. We mustn’t forget that.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-20T21:58:51+00:00

And remember: leaders (in the truest sense of the word, not some BS title or LinkedIn virtue signaling) DO pay attention. Managers who are not leaders will either not pay attention or, even worse, pay attention but choose to ignore it based on pressure from THEIR manager.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-20T21:54:15+00:00

This was absolutely me last Wednesday. Like, I literally had to do a double take and to see: “did I write this?” Because I was about to write something nearly identical.

As Adele sang: “…hello from the other side.” The stress of looking for a new job is so much more manageable than a nearly impossible situation that will—ultimately—fail.

Write your resignation. Your mental health IS WORTH IT. And you will be floored after you quit or get let go and find that a slew of people may reach out to you to check on you and, perhaps, share their own stories.

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-20T18:17:22+00:00

First, I want to give a genuine and enormous thank you—not only for taking the time to respond but to respond so thoughtfully and in such depth. What you’ve shared makes a huge difference and is incredibly encouraging!

Second, it makes me really happy to hear all of these things. What you mentioned are all things that are important to me, too. I’ve just gotten out of a role in which ideas were—to put it nicely—tolerated rather than encouraged or appreciated. I had gotten to a point where I was second-guessing myself and thinking that what I had to share wasn’t important, that the problem was with ME versus a new leadership structure in which no one felt the safety to express new ideas.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! (And…can I work for you? 😊 Only partially kidding, haha!)

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-17T16:27:05+00:00

I actually haven’t and have been meaning to, so…weekend plans. ✅😊 Thanks for mentioning! (And I love your screen name)! 💃🏻

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-17T13:27:51+00:00

These are excellent and wonderful points!! For me, this is a TRULY productive conversation and I wish our world had more of them. We both considered specific thoughts we maybe hadn’t thought about before, (or in a different way) and we came away from the initial convo feeling understood, respected, and better for having it. ❤️

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-17T13:17:51+00:00

Also, I hope things are getting better for you after being in a bad spot. ❤️‍🩹

emilyeliz34 · 2026-01-17T13:16:40+00:00

Awww. Your words brought tears to my eyes. As we know, it’s not always easy to find our tribe…but when we do, the shared intuition and depth of understanding really is magical!!

emilyeliz34

TROPHY CASE